TOWER OF THE EXILED GOD

Chapter 4: The Hall of Chains

The staircase narrowed as Kaelen climbed, the air turning colder with every step. The glow from the runes on his dagger dimmed, swallowed by the oppressive darkness pressing in around him. 

Even the tower’s constant hum, a sound he had grown accustomed to, faded until all he could hear was his own breathing and the faint drip of water from somewhere far above. 

When he finally emerged from the staircase, it was into a cavernous hall. 

Thousands of them hung from the ceiling, thick and rusted, some disappearing into cracks in the stone floor while others dangled free like pendulums. 

They swayed gently in a breeze Kaelen couldn’t feel, clinking softly, the sound echoing through the massive chamber. 

The air smelled of iron and mildew.

Kaelen stepped forward cautiously, water dripping from his clothes as he studied the room. His instincts screamed that this was no simple passage. The hall felt… alive and watching. 

The god’s voice whispered in his mind, low and amused. Ah, the Hall of Chains, I remember this place. 

The architects built it to break men’s minds. You may not survive this floor, mortal. Kaelen ignored him, gripping his dagger tightly. “What’s the trick here?” 

Every step is a choice, the god said. And most are fatal. 

That wasn’t encouraging. 

Kaelen crouched, examining the floor. Each slab of stone was carved with runes, faintly glowing blue. Some were cracked, others pristine. 

He noticed rust-colored stains splashed across certain tiles, blood, long dried. 

Step wrong, and the tower reacts, the god added, sounding almost pleased, but perhaps you’ll amuse me again. 

Kaelen’s jaw tightened. He stepped onto a clean tile, testing it with his weight, but nothing happened. 

He took another step. The chains above him rattled softly, but the hall remained still. “Alright,” Kaelen murmured. “Careful,l it is.” 

For the next several minutes, he moved slowly, carefully, testing each tile before stepping forward. 

The silence of the hall pressed in on him like a weight, broken only by the soft chime of chains swaying overhead. Sweat beaded on his brow despite the cold. 

Then, on his eighth step, the floor gave a faint click. 

Kaelen froze. 

The chains above rattled violently, the sound echoing like thunder. One of the massive links snapped free, swinging down like a pendulum. 

Kaelen dove aside just as it slammed into the ground, shattering stone and sending shards flying. 

More chains broke loose, one after another, crashing down like wrecking balls.

Kaelen sprinted forward, abandoning caution. The dagger glowed faintly in his grip, lighting his path. Chains smashed into the floor around him, throwing up clouds of dust and rubble. 

One narrowly missed his head, tearing through his cloak. 

He dove behind a fallen pillar, heart pounding. 

The god chuckled in his mind. Not bad. But you won’t survive this pace for long. 

Kaelen peeked out from cover, scanning the room. The chains weren’t falling at random; they moved with purpose, almost like they were hunting him. Each time he paused, they swung closer. 

He gritted his teeth. “Fine. Let’s see if this works.” 

Instead of moving carefully, Kaelen sprinted straight down the center of the hall, weaving and ducking as chains smashed around him. 

The glowing runes on his dagger pulsed faster, almost like it was guiding him. He trusted the pull in his gut and leaped forward, just as a massive chain slammed down behind him, sealing off the path he’d taken. 

Kaelen landed hard, rolling across the floor, and scrambled to his feet. Ahead, the hall opened into a circular platform suspended over a chasm. Chains hung like a curtain around the edges, swaying gently in the darkness. 

He stepped forward cautiously. The platform groaned under his weight. 

In the center stood a pedestal, upon which rested an iron mask. It was old, cracked, and etched with intricate runes. A faint light glimmered behind its hollow eyes. 

Kaelen’s instincts screamed danger, but curiosity and desperation pushed him closer. The god’s voice was sharp. “Don’t touch it.” 

Kaelen froze. 

“Why not?” 

“Because that is a Seer’s Mask,” the god hissed. “A relic used to bind mortal minds to divine will, it will try to take you.” 

Kaelen studied the mask. Its glow pulsed faintly, almost hypnotically. 

“Could it help me climb?” he murmured. 

The god laughed softly, “If you survive wearing it, perhaps, but you won’t.”

Kaelen sheathed his dagger and reached out, ignoring the god’s protests. The moment his fingers brushed the mask, pain exploded in his skull. 

Kaelen staggered back with a choked gasp, clutching his head. Visions flooded his mind, flashes of places he’d never seen. 

A city of golden spires, burning. 

An army of armored figures kneeling before a faceless throne. 

A towering silhouette of shadow, chained to a mountain, screaming in rage. And then, a face. 

The woman he’d seen before, the one with glowing blue eyes. She stood atop a mountain of corpses, her expression calm, her eyes like shards of ice. 

“You’ll break,” she said softly, her voice echoing in his skull. 

The vision shattered. 

Kaelen dropped to his knees, gasping. Blood dripped from his nose. The mask pulsed faintly in his hands, as if mocking him. 

The god’s voice was cold. I warned you. 

Kaelen wiped the blood away and slipped the mask into his pack. “I’ll take my chances.” The sound of clinking chains made him freeze. 

This time, it wasn’t random movement. The chains surrounding the platform were tightening, weaving together like a net. 

Kaelen drew his dagger and backed toward the center of the platform. 

Something was descending from the ceiling. 

He looked up, and his breath caught. 

A creature was lowering itself toward him, its body made entirely of chains. It had no flesh, no face, only a massive skeletal frame formed from interlocking links. Two glowing blue eyes burned from within its skull-like head. 

The god’s voice growled—a Warden. 

The creature slammed into the platform with a deafening crash, the force nearly knocking Kaelen off his feet. Its massive arms swung, chains snapping through the air like whips. Kaelen ducked under one strike, the chain cutting a groove into the stone where he’d stood.

He lashed out with his dagger, the blade glowing red as it bit into the creature’s arm. Sparks flew, and the Warden hissed, its chains rattling angrily. 

Kaelen darted forward, slashing again, but the creature was fast. It grabbed him with a massive chain-wrapped hand and hurled him across the platform. He hit the ground hard, his breath knocked from his lungs. 

Get up, mortal, the god snarled. It will tear you apart. 

Kaelen forced himself to his feet just as the Warden’s chains lashed out again. He dove aside, barely avoiding being crushed. 

He had fought beasts. He had fought men. But this thing felt unstoppable. 

The Warden lunged, swinging both arms at once. Kaelen ducked and rolled, stabbing upward with his dagger. The blade sank into the creature’s chest, and it screamed, a sound like grinding metal. 

The glowing runes on its body flickered. 

Kaelen yanked the dagger free, panting. He needed to finish this quickly, or not at all. 

The creature roared and swung again. Kaelen leaped backward, but his heel caught on a chain. He stumbled, hitting the ground hard. 

The Warden loomed over him, raising one massive arm. 

“Not like this,” Kaelen growled, forcing himself up. 

The Warden’s arm came down. 

A spear of blue light shot through the creature’s head. 

The Warden screamed, thrashing violently, as another spear pierced its chest. It staggered, glowing runes flickering wildly. 

Kaelen blinked in shock, glancing toward the source of the attack. 

Varin. 

The masked man stood at the edge of the platform, his spear glowing with crackling energy. “Move!” Varin shouted. 

Kaelen dove aside as Varin hurled his spear. The weapon struck the Warden again, and this time its body convulsed violently. With a final, metallic shriek, the creature’s chains unraveled, collapsing into a pile of lifeless links.

Kaelen lay on his back, panting, the glowing runes from the Warden’s remains flickering and fading. 

Varin strode across the platform, retrieving his spear. He glanced down at Kaelen. “Not bad,” Varin said. “For a dead man walking.” 

Kaelen glared at him, still catching his breath. “You planned to help me, or just wanted to watch me die?” 

Varin chuckled softly, offering him a hand. “Both.” 

Kaelen ignored it and stood on his own. 

Varin’s mask tilted slightly, studying him. “You touched the mask, didn’t you?” Kaelen didn’t answer. 

Varin sighed. “Then you’ve really done it now.” 

Before Kaelen could reply, the chains beneath the platform rattled. 

Varin spun, spear raised. 

From the chasm below, something massive was rising. 

Kaelen’s blood ran cold as a colossal shape emerged from the darkness, hundreds of glowing blue eyes blinking open across its serpentine body. 

The god’s voice hissed in Kaelen’s mind. Now you’ve angered the tower.